Firearm.



'man' Wynn. or mLLnmArtoI-tE-nE-noUERGUE, AND GUSTAVE LEvaLLoxs-PERRET, FRANCE..

BESSIERE, 0F

i377, Esiti?.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Application tiled. May 18, 1917. Serial No. 369,592.

To SIZ whom.. it may concern Be it known that we. .lum Vivi-1N. residingr at Villetrancllede-llo!lei-gue` France, and Gosriyn llnssiinuc. residing at Levallois-Perret. France. citizens ot' the llepuhlicot1 France, have invented new and useiui Improvements in or RelationV to llirearms, of which the following4 is a specification.

This invention relates to a device that` can be fitted to rifles. 2guns and. generally speakingr. to any rire-arms. 'for the purpose olf enabling them to discharfre jnfojwtiles ot' a. caliber and weight `greater than those ot the projectile suitable tor the firk-'arm to which thc device is fitted.

ln the aecomjmnyinff drawing:

li`i`oure 1 shows in longitudinal axial section showing' the applicatimi ot' the device to a rifle; i Fig. 2 is an axial section ot' a jn'ojectile of large caliber converted into a timefiiuse grenade.;

Fig. 3 is a' plan otl the mechanism applicable to the large projectile tor converting it .into a percussion Igrenade. and

Fig. -l is a sectional elevation showing' the development ot' the mechanism shown :in Fig.

()n the end ot the barrel l ot the firesarnl is mounted a part Q which constitutes the essential part of the invention. The said part consists of a` sheath with two hores` the smaller part 3 ot' which tits on the outside of the barrel l, while the Dart -l of the larger diauuter. coaxial with the first part and with the barrel ot' the ii'e-ar1n,-torxns a guide t'or the projectile 5 to be discharged.

The said projectile 5 is therefore guided by the. sheath or sleeve 4i and is provided, along;` its axis` with a hole (i passing rightl through` the diameter ot the said hole beingl practically equal to the caliber olt the lirei arm used; it could be. provided with one or more openings 7 iutei'uled to receive fuses or dctonators or other suitable means t'or producing' or delayingt explosion.

The projectile .fi to he disrhargml is placed in its sleeve i; the tire-arm is charged with its cart-ridge or with its usual projectile, and whel it is suitably laid. the shot is fired in the uf ual manner.

The ordinata' projectile propelled by the explosion oli the powder. leavesA the barrel l and, passes into the orifice of the hole 6 of .tlnottliugll with which they meet. and this results in a continuation of the thrust, and also in partial suppression of the noise of the explosion.

lvloreover. the small projectile, in passing with force through tlie orifice G, imparts its own rotation to the large projectile 5, which contributes to accurate shooting.

ln 'order to avoid leakages, the sleeve 3 of small diameter comprises at its inner end a shoulder S) which engages with the edfre of the barrel l and is provided in the center with a hole l() larger in diameter than the ordimlry projectile, so that the latter can pass through it.

The described device can be fitted to any' lire-arms. as described` and `it can alsoibe yprovided when manufacturing the Weapon,

and either t'orm one piece with its barrel, or be iiulependent ot the same, so as Sto obtain two (litterent uses of a single weapon. When applied to small-arms such as rifles or ref volversv` it makes it possible to discharge by means ot' such arms any kinds of projectiles, such as bombs, rockets, sign-als, cables, ete.

The large caliber projectile 5 can be used as a timeftuse grenade or as a percussion grenade.

The large caliber projectile shown i'n Fig. 2, is practically similar to that described, that is to say it consists of a cylindrical bocly 5 having an axial hole 6 which affords passage to the small caliber projectile.

f )ne of the end plates of the hollow body 5 is provided with a tapped lateral hole 7 into which is sc rcwedgi screw plug 1l, in the interior ot which is arranged a wick or cord l2 intended to burn within a given time, and haring a ydetonator 13 ait, one of its ends.

ranged, and opposite Ithe said primer is` arranged a-percussion device which consists of a bent metal blade, one of the branches of which is pressed against the corresponding face of the projectile 5 .by the screw plug 11.

It will be readily understood Athat when the small caliber projectile escapes from the hole 6, it will force the percussion Adevice 15 lagainst the primer 14 which Will be ignited, ignite the match or cord 12 which Will explode the detonator 13 after expiration of a given time, 'and finally the proj ectile 5 will explode like an ordina-ry grenade.

It is sufficient to caleula'te correctly the length of the cord 12 in order to bring about explosion of the projectile only when it has reached its object. y

The device shown in Figs. 3 and l makes it possible `to convert the large caliber proj ectile 5 into ya percussion grenade.

To that end, to the front ace of the projectile is secured, by means of a screw 16, a powerful spring blade 17 curved so as to fit the circular shape of the projectile. rlhe said spring normally stands avv-ay from the flat face of the latter and is held cocked by means of a pawl 18 consisting of a rod provided with alateral recess of suitable shape With which engages the free correspending hook-shaped end .19 of the spring 17, the tension of which strongly presses the saidpawl into a recess 20 provided on the Hat face ofthe projectile.

The spring 17 is l vided near its free end vwith a1 percussion pin 21 which can strike so that, when the a percussion primer 22, projectile has reached its object, the paWl 18, by striking the ground, will be moved on-t of' its position of equilibrium either by contact or by momentum, and will -t-hus re- .,/lease fthe spring` 17, the percussion pin 21 of which will'strike the prinier22 in order to explode Ithe projectile 5.

` It is necessary to provide the said arrangement with a safety device 'that would make its manipulation safe during handling and transport.

The 'said safety device comprises a button 23 with three collars, arranged on 'the spring 17 provided laterally with a notch or recess for receiving it.

The bottom collar engages between the cocked spring and the front face of the proj ectile 5. The said button is held in its recess by a double twisted brass wire 24 Which passes diamet-rically over the front of the projectile and is attached to a small button 25 as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be understood thatl when the small caliber projectile is discharged from the gun, ilt will ont the wire 24 and so release the button 23 and disengage it from its recess extending from the periphery of the spring disk, for the purpose of enabling the spring 17 subsequently to play the par-t hereinbefore explained. v

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our Said invention and in wha't manner the saine is to be performed, we declare 'that' what we claim is:

1. A device adaptedto be fitted to the end of a barrel off aI tire-arm. colnprising an outer part ot' a caliber greater than that of the said firearm, arranged coaxial with the barrel of the said arm and forming a' guide for a projectile provided with an axial hole affording passage to the usual projectile whereby the large projectile is propelled and rotated and the noise of the explosion reduced.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which the large caliber projectile is itted wiith a percussion device actuated by the small caliber projectile as it escapes from Jthe central hole in lthe conduit ot the large caliber projectile, whereby ya. primer is tired which ignites a wick terminating at a detonator which in its turn brings about. the explosion of lthe explosive in of the projectile.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence ot' two witnesses.

JE AN -VVEN- i GUSTAVE BSSRE. -Witnesses Unas. l). PnnssLY EMIL BERTRAND.

the interior 

